The satsuki azalea community decided long ago what their preferred top dressing would be – mountain moss. Also known as yamagoke (“mountain moss” in Japanese), this moss is typically harvested in China and packaged in Japan. It can be used interchangeably with white sphagnum moss, but there are three benefits that make it popular for […]
Satsuki
Kinsai satsuki azalea
‘Kinsai’ is a popular satsuki azalea cultivar. The flowers are red and the petals are narrow. Mostly. There are a few different variations of kinsai (pink flowers, wide petals, etc.), and there can be considerable variation among the flowers on a single tree. You can see this on the specimen below that has started to […]
Massive field-grown satsuki azaleas
When azaleas are dug from the field, it’s common to clean the trunks and reduce the branches. The trees are then placed in greenhouses so they get the heat and humidity they need to send out new shoots. Satsuki azalea recently dug from the field This is bonsai at its most abstract. The trunks, decades […]
Field-growing satsuki azaleas at Takahashi Engei
My recent trip to Japan included some satsuki sightseeing at Takahashi Engei – a large azalea grower in Kanuma City. Kazuhiro Takahashi showed us around his growing fields which gave us a good look at the stages azaleas go through on their way to becoming bonsai. Although I didn’t see young trees on the property, […]
Thinning a mature satsuki azalea
I was relieved when it was time to clean up the last azalea on the bench. A friend and I had thinned around forty trees over the previous few weeks (thanks Dylan!) but I was still looking forward to seeing how the last tree would turn out. It’s a mature ‘Kozan.’ Satsuki azalea ‘Kozan’ The […]